There is a solution

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IF drinking is costing you more than money, there is a simple solution to drinking problems which many people have found and enjoyed.Next month is Alcoholics Anonymous Awareness Month. If you know of someone whose drinking is causing difficulties in their lives, a first step could be to recommend attending AA. The important message is that people can and do recover from this illness to regain control over their lives.It is our hope, as Non-Alcoholic Trustees of AA Great Britain, that this letter will change the perception of Alcoholics Anonymous and dispel various myths and prejudices about AA.The image of AA in North America appears to be more positive than it is in the UK. However, that is changing - the economic climate is perhaps encouraging more creative solutions to our national drinking problems. AA is not a religious organisation. There are people from all walks of life and every persuasion. There are people who are atheists, agnostics and others who belong to formalised religions. It does not matter what your beliefs are, nor will anyone try and persuade you to change your beliefs. There is growing scientific awareness showing the effectiveness of introducing patients to AA, and the therapeutic benefits of sustained recovery when patients join AA.The individual‚??s first step is to contact AA

- there is a national phone line: 0800 9177 650 - and to attend an AA meeting. A member from AA will be willing to have an initial meeting and share his or her experiences of the illness and their recovery. Sincerely, Prof Jonathan Chick, Consultant Psychiatrist, Edinburgh Dr Ashraf Kahn, Consultant Psychiatrist, Birmingham Paul Myles BSc Psychol. (Hons) MSc (substance misuse), SussexMartin Weegmann, Clinical Psychologist, London